Having viewed many videos about making a pizza in a commercial setting, and having seen the same in person at several pizzerias, I wonder? It seems that it is common for home pizza bakers to place the skin on a peel, then dress the skin and finally launch the pie . Frequently I have seen in commercial videos the pizza skin being dressed on the work counter, then scooped onto the peel, usually an aluminum one with holes in it. then launched onto the stone. Sometimes I have seen the dressed pie pulled onto a peel and then launched.The reason I am asking about this technique is that using a hotter stone than I previously could manage, there was a burning on the bottom of the pie that I attribute to the peel lubricant, IE flour. I would like to try a method that does not require adding a flour releasing agent to the peal and need to find out which method is best and of course any other secrets. I read somewhere that the perforated, aluminum peels are nice in this application because the excess flour on the bottom of the pie will fall off, through the holes prior to launching. I tried once to dress my skin after putting on the aluminum peel with holes, unfortunately since the peel flour I added fell through the holes prior to placing the skin on the peel it didn't want to slide off.How do they do it?

I usually stretch and top the crust on a composite board and then drag the pizza onto a slotted metal peel. Once on the peel, I adjust any edges that are out of round. I give it a shake to let any loose bench flour fall through the slots, but there is little, if any, excess. Then into the oven.

One of the things you may want to keep in mind that often the type and size of peel you want to use is based on the type of pizza you want to make. For example, you may have noted that when a metal peel was used to load a pizza into the oven, the pizza most likely was small with a few toppings, such as a Neapolitan style pizza that might be 10"-12" in diameter (and with a similarly sized metal peel). For a high hydration dough or for a dough for a large size pizza, such as a 16"-18" NY style pizza with a fairly large range of possible toppings, or for a thick crust American style with more than a few toppings, you would best use a wooden peel that has a release agent on it. The danger of using a metal peel for a large pizza or one that has a lot of weighty toppings is that the pizza will quite likely stick to the peel, even when using a release agent, and lead to problems releasing the fully dressed pizza from the peel to load it into the oven without mishap. I would be very surprised that you ever saw pizza makers making NY style pizzas using only a metal peel, even a 12" or 14" NY style pizza. They will use a wooden peel to load the pizzas into the oven and a metal one to turn the pizza in the oven if needed and to remove them from the oven.

One of the things you may want to keep in mind that often the type and size of peel you want to use is based on the type of pizza you want to make. For example, you may have noted that when a metal peel was used to load a pizza into the oven, the pizza most likely was small with a few toppings, such as a Neapolitan style pizza that might be 10"-12" in diameter (and with a similarly sized metal peel). For a high hydration dough or for a dough for a large size pizza, such as a 16"-18" NY style pizza with a fairly large range of possible toppings, or for a thick crust American style with more than a few toppings, you would best use a wooden peel that has a release agent on it. The danger of using a metal peel for a large pizza or one that has a lot of weighty toppings is that the pizza will quite likely stick to the peel, even when using a release agent, and lead to problems releasing the fully dressed pizza from the peel to load it into the oven without mishap. I would be very surprised that you ever saw pizza makers making NY style pizzas using only a metal peel, even a 12" or 14" NY style pizza. They will use a wooden peel to load the pizzas into the oven and a metal one to turn the pizza in the oven if needed and to remove them from the oven.

Peter

Peter, good point. I actually do not know the style of pizza that was being made in those videos. I guess that I should pay closer attention and learn to identify correctly what I am seeing. Perhaps I will keep the wooden peel for the larger, heavier pies.

As another option for home baking without "lubricants" you might want to consider a Superpeel http://www.superpeel.com/. They work great for high hydration dough (pizza or bread). I've used one for the past two years and would never be without it. It would probably catch fire in a WFO but for home oven temps it works great. I also use it to launch pies onto my LBE with no problem.

As another option for home baking without "lubricants" you might want to consider a Superpeel http://www.superpeel.com/. They work great for high hydration dough (pizza or bread). I've used one for the past two years and would never be without it. It would probably catch fire in a WFO but for home oven temps it works great. I also use it to launch pies onto my LBE with no problem.

Jeff

Jeff, "Why I Never...." Who wooda thunk? I can see now I am going to need to build another addition onto my outdoor kitchen, just to house my Peels

I have found the wooden peels to work best. Once you get the feel of them in relation to the texture of the dough, it never sticks to the peel. I rarely dust my peel. the dough is dressed on it and it slides right onto the stone. I am using blodgett 1000 ovens and have 2 length peels- the longer one for working the back 3 pies and the shorter for the front 3. I do a NY style pie that I learned growing up in Essex county NJ. Walter

I have found the wooden peels to work best. Once you get the feel of them in relation to the texture of the dough, it never sticks to the peel. I rarely dust my peel. the dough is dressed on it and it slides right onto the stone. I am using blodgett 1000 ovens and have 2 length peels- the longer one for working the back 3 pies and the shorter for the front 3. I do a NY style pie. Walter

Walter, thanks for the insight to the wooden peel. I now will have a 13 3/4 inch wooden and a 13" metal, mind telling us how without a peel lubricant you get your pie off the wooden peel?

Mark: I had a reply up here but it disapeared since last night. I grew up in the pizza world (my Italian mother's side of the family) and over time you learn the dough feel in relation to the texture of the peel. I find the older they get the less flouring they need. If you flour the dough before tossing it that is usually plenty of lubricant to make it slide off easy. There is also a mental factor IMO. You basically will it off The metal peels are great for getting a pie unstuck from a stone when some cheese spills onto the stone. You can also get the stone pretty much cleaned off and pie out in one pass. Walter

This can be difficult for us when a post spans multiple topics. You can help the moderators keep the board a little more organized by starting new topics, when possible, when the subject changes. This is not always possible, but your help is appreciated.

I have found, through much trial and error that by generously dusting and gently pressing your dough ball into a bowl of course semolina you can then press out on the bench to form the crust with very little, if any, extra flour (the prior dusting and pressing into semolina being the factor for this). Finally, tossing your skin for the final formation OVER the peel will shake off any residual flour onto the peel and aid in a smooth launch with very little flour to speak of in the end result. Hope this helps you a bit.

I have found, through much trial and error that by generously dusting and gently pressing your dough ball into a bowl of course semolina you can then press out on the bench to form the crust with very little, if any, extra flour (the prior dusting and pressing into semolina being the factor for this). Finally, tossing your skin for the final formation OVER the peel will shake off any residual flour onto the peel and aid in a smooth launch with very little flour to speak of in the end result. Hope this helps you a bit.